Chapter 1428
Lucky You
Cameron sent Sheila a message about what she planned. It was what she wanted.
Sheila hated to leave Young Jesse. It was very exciting for her to be with 'herself'. She was able to teach Young Jesse a few new things that she'd learned from Jesse. It was sort of a 'full circle' experience.
Young Jesse asked about Vanna again.
Sheila didn't want to tell her why Vanna was tied up. That would cause her distress too. Savannah was in the thick of it again.
"She'll be here." Sheila said. "Gail is coming next."
Young Jesse was ready for that. Gail treated her very differently. She would just hold her in her arms and sob sometimes. It was because she missed Duplicate Jesse who was in River's future now. She knew she was 'Duplicate Jesse' or at least where Duplicate Jesse originated from.
Sheila left and Gail arrived.
Right away the atmosphere changed. She could see how Gail almost worshiped her. It was similar but different to the way Gail treated Savannah.
Young Jesse knew that Gail was not as 'advanced' as the other Terminators but everything they possessed was inside Gail too. She was just unable to express it the way those that were more refined were.
Young Jesse thought about suggesting to do the 'Neural Interface' with Gail to 'help' her. Savannah warned her against doing that as it would change who Gail was. That was why she resisted doing it with Gail.
Either way they were both very pleased to share the company of each other, even when they just talked. Gail did a lot of that. She never did with anyone else.
Anna and Young Allison were behind a fallen tree. The patrol was headed straight for them.
Anna indicated the two men on the left side of them for Young Allison to 'take'. She would concentrate on the three on their right side.
They both picked a target and planned their follow up shots. They were ready to act.
Their index fingers each moved onto the trigger of their silenced M9.
Young Allison sighted on the second man first.
"Hold up." The first man said. "I need to take a leak."
"Lucky you, I see." The first female said. "It's easy for you."
"I can't help what God gave me." The first man said.
"I can." The second female said.
Young Allison could see the third person in the patrol was another female and she held up a knife.
"Save that for a 'Metal Lover'." The second man said.
Young Allison switched her aim to the man on the end who just spoke. She decided he would die first for what he'd just said.
The patrol stopped. One man moved away from the group to relieve himself. He move over next to a fallen tree.
Young Allison ducked down. She saw Anna do the same.
The man was right in between them as a stream of liquid began to flow. It could be heard as it splashed on the ground between them.
"Hustle up. 'Cuff your dummy' on your own time." The second man said. "Let's go."
"Suck it." The first man said.
"If we catch another 'Metal Bitch' she can do that when we reprogram her." The second man said.
That brought a round of laughter from the patrol as it moved away from them.
"I bet you guys can't wait to make her a 'Metal Whore'." The first female said.
"Unlike you she will at least 'put out' with a smile on her face." The first man said.
"Until it regresses and rips your 'nads' off." The third man said.
"That was a raw deal." The second man said. "I went right before you. That could have been me instead of you."
"I wish it was." The second female said. "Then you'd stop knocking on my door."
"We don't need them anyway. Dudes are worthless." The first female said. "We have each other."
Young Allison and Anna looked back over the fallen tree.
The two females shared a quick kiss.
The patrol moved away.
John Henry contacted them.
"Savannah wants both of you back." John Henry said. "There have been some new developments."
He gave them a brief run down on what Steve found.
Anna gave him the GPS coordinates of the three LPs they'd found and the best angle of attack for a missile strike.
Anna started back. Young Allison was a little hesitant to follow.
"What about the patrol?" Young Allison asked.
"Once the base is attacked we can worry about any survivors or stragglers." Anna said. "Don't take anything personal."
It was personal to Young Allison. She loved Metal.
"I want to kill them for what they said now and what they've done in the past." Young Allison said. "That could be you they were laughing and talking about."
Anna hoped to have the same reaction to an assailant.
"If that ever does happen to me, I will be sure to collect what that female Terminator did." Anna said. "They'd make a nice pair of earrings."
Anna started back.
Young Allison followed her. She looked back one last time and then concentrated on going back to the helicopter.
They paused often to make sure they were not followed. Once they were away from the immediate area of the base Anna picked up Young Allison and carried her to speed their return. Whatever awaited them sounded very promising.
The Metal screeched louder and the 'door' opened with a heavy thud.
"Don't shoot, Savannah." A voice said. "I'm coming out."
Savannah recognized that voice.
'What the Hell?' Savannah thought again.
"Orange." Savannah said.
"Raccoon." The voice answered.
That was a code word issued today. Savannah eased up on the trigger of the M249 some but not much.
Michael exited out of the passageway.
Richard followed him out.
"How long have you been in there?" Savannah asked.
"We've been in there since 1953." Richard said.
"We completed the escape tunnel and sealed it off from the main bunker system." Michael said. "We also dug tunnels for the placement of the weapons CamNet sent with you."
Cammy rebooted. She wondered where Michael and Richard came from.
"When did they get here?" Cammy asked. "We left them at the other location."
Savannah could only repeat what she'd just heard. It seemed unbelievable.
"They got here in 1953." Savannah said. "Or they have at least been here since 1953."
The Terminators rebooted one by one and were as surprised as everyone about what CamNet had done for them. CamNet decided that Richard and Michael would remain there in standby once everything was completed to make sure it remained undisturbed. With the close call at the site in Nevada, CamNet didn't want to take any chances with the timing since Young Allison and Savannah were both there.
Savannah looked inside the passageway. She noted their collection of weapons. There was a BAR and M1919 belt fed machine-gun. There were two Thompson sub-machine-guns as well. One was an M1A1 and the other was a M1928. The later could take a drum magazine. It was loaded a 'C' drum magazine that held one hundred rounds. There were several fifty round 'L' magazines along with a lot of thirty round magazines. That was what the M1A1 Thompson used exclusively. There was a collection of grenades and explosives as well.
"How long did it take to construct everything?" Savannah asked.
"We finished this passageway in less than two years." Richard said.
"It was the tunnels for the placement of the 'packages' that took a little longer." Michael said.
Savannah could see they were both dusty from being inactive for so long.
"I saw you an hour ago and here you've been in standby for sixty years or so." Savannah said.
CamNet prompted them to carry out the next phase of the operation.
Anna and Young Allison arrived a few minutes later.
They were surprised too by what CamNet had done.
"Look at these vintage weapons." Young Allison said when she looked inside the opening. "Is that a bazooka in the corner?"
"Yes." Michael said. "There are ten rockets for it."
Savannah and Young Allison went to the drones that landed with the special 'packages'.
Cammy and Anna went with them.
Young Allison looked at the two devices. They would hit a little harder than a bazooka could.
"Will this collapse the entire mountain?" Young Allison asked.
"Both of them may." Cammy said. "The plan is to create a cavity below and off to the side for the bunker complex to fall into after the explosion. That is to contain the radiation."
Savannah wondered how they were going to transport the weapons.
"Are we going to fly the drones in there?" Savannah asked. "Is there enough room?"
Young Allison thought that would be noisy.
"What about the sound level?" Young Allison asked. "Will it tip our hand?"
CamNet communicated directly with Young Allison and Savannah about the details.
Savannah expressed her concerns about any Terminators entering the passageway. If an EMP went off they could be stuck down there when they needed to pull out.
They would take a drone as the passageway was designed for that purpose.
"Two drones have volunteered for the assignment." CamNet said
Savannah looked at 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' parked next to the Blackhawk. This was not all a coincidence.
"Let's get everything together and go." Savannah said. "I will go by myself along with 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb'."
Young Allison was not going to let Savannah go alone.
"Hardly. I'm not going to let you have all the fun." Young Allison said. "I'm going with you."
Savannah didn't want to get into an argument about this.
"No." Savannah said.
Young Allison pointed out the logical reasons she should go.
"There are two bombs." Young Allison said. "We may be separated or worse. We still need to arm the weapons. There is built in redundancy to insure the mission success. I'm going."
The Terminators could all hear the exchanges of words and plans.
They didn't want the girls to go on their own.
'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' were loaded up.
Cammy and Anna pleaded to be allowed to accompany them.
Savannah was very aware what occurred in Cameron's future with a scenario very similar to this. It was a mission that all involved with perished or almost did. Cameron and her were rescued in the last few seconds. They should have all been terminated.
This looked like it was being set up as a repeat of that if things went wrong.
Savannah was very aware how fast that could happen.
Sheila left Young Jesse behind. She wished she could be her full time girlfriend instead of Camille.
She arrived in Leticia's room and looked at her in the bed.
Maybe she didn't want a full time human girlfriend. It seemed like it would be a lot of 'work'. There was a lot of give and take involved. She didn't want to need to do any 'maintenance'. The girls she shared with now were all self sufficient.
As it was now she could be with anyone at any time and wasn't responsible to anyone, except maybe Ally. They watched over each other. Then there was Cammy.
She was sure Cameron sent Cammy with her into the past for eight years to 'punish' Cammy for some infraction. It kept her away from Savannah for eight years. Cammy was very lonely and distraught but she did her job. It was easy for her to dominate Cammy and share her affection with her. She toyed with her a lot and made her do 'things' much as Jesse previously made some of her female lovers do. She felt bad about that soon enough as she came to love Cammy. It was more than just Cammy looking like Cameron or Ally. Cammy could share love like Savannah could.
"Do you want me be with Tony now?" Leticia asked.
That brought Sheila back to 'now'. She'd drifted off there for a few seconds.
"Maybe later on you can." Sheila said. "He's busy now."
Leticia kissed Sheila.
The kiss was very captivating. It was a kiss full of love, not sex.
"I really need it bad that way." Leticia whispered in her ear.
Sheila saw that as a challenge.
"I think I can make you forget about that for now." Sheila said.
Sheila was able to make her tongue very rigid. She felt she could give Leticia what she wanted right now. She imagined she would look like a Woodpecker at work.
Summer was concerned about Young Allison and Savannah entering the belly of the beast.
"I don't want them to go alone." Summer said.
John Henry didn't see how that could change. Savannah already gave orders for everyone else to evacuate.
It was the two girls, two drones and two nuclear bombs.
"Cammy should borrow Richard or Michael's chip and go with them. She has two chip ports." Summer said. "They built the system they are in. They know all of the details. They would know what was right or wrong about anything down there."
Summer knew her appeal was to CamNet more than to John Henry.
"It seems unlikely at this point." John Henry said.
Summer offed a solution as well as an ultimatum.
"Anna has two chip ports as well." Summer said. "Cammy and Anna can both be 'two people' at the same time."
Summer faced the security camera.
"It's what I want." Summer said. "Or I'm going there myself."
Savannah and Young Allison both wore ear protection. It was very loud in the confines of the passage way.
"I don't know about this." Savannah said into Young Allison ear.
Young Allison nodded.
"It might give away our mission as we get closer." Young Allison said.
Savannah knew that they needed two Terminators at this point. Two of them could carry the B-61 weapon. She could carry the back pack nuke. It was a spare anyway at this point. The B-61 should be able to bring the whole place down into the cavern it would create. There was a second section of the base for the command section that was away from the main base by design. That was what the backpack nuke was for.
The plan was once they were in position and the weapons were ready to be armed there would be a drone strike against the LP positions. That should trigger an EMP blast soon afterwards. It should also drive everyone into the bunker for 'safety'. Once that occurred the bombs would be armed.
It was originally envisioned that they would use an ERW or Neutron Bomb delivered from the front into the interior to kill everyone. Now they would bring the inside down from within. It would better hide what actually occurred there. Radiation seepage should be minimal.
Savannah asked 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' to stop for now and power down.
There was the sound of running footsteps from the way they'd come.
Cammy and Anna arrived followed by Richard and Michael.
Savannah was about to protest when she realized this is what they needed right now for a more clandestine delivery of the weapons. They still needed to travel over a mile and a half through the passageway to reach the bunker system.
Richard and Michael picked up the B61 and Cammy put the back pack nuke on to carry it.
"If we didn't come to assist you, Summer was going to come here." Anna said. "She doesn't bluff."
They all knew Summer was rapidly 'expanding'.
"Michael and I know everything about what is built here. We know all the details." Richard said.
Anna looked at Richard and took his half of the B61 from him.
"You have point, Richard. You know this place." Savannah said. "Let's move."
Savannah and Young Allison touched 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' as they passed by them.
Savannah wanted to give them an option.
"Switch off between going into standby for now. We may need you later on." Savannah said. "You can leave if you want. This may not end well."
The two machines remained where they were. That didn't surprise anyone.
Richard led the group down the passageway.
"When was the last time you inspected this?" Savannah asked.
"When we made sure the lights worked." Michael said.
Savannah hoped for a better answer than that. It did not look like it was coming.
"There are relays built in along with the lighting so we can communicate with the outside." Richard said.
They traveled a mile before they could hear the sound of water running. The Terminators heard it first.
Young Allison saw the Terminators all exchange glum glances.
"What's wrong?" Young Allison asked. "We need to know everything with nothing held back."
Anna was unsure what it meant.
"There is water up ahead." Anna said. "We can hear it."
Michael and Richard experienced some 'problem' over time.
"We encountered several underground springs." Michael said. "Sometimes the underground springs are able to find a crack and spray water into the passageway. It only happens sometimes. We fixed some and installed drains in other places."
They were within a quarter mile of the bunker system when they spotted the water.
There was a thin spray that shot across the passageway like a high pressure hose.
The floor was wet on one side where the water ran down. There was a drain where it disappeared a hundred feet later.
"We're going to get wet." Savannah said. "Just keep going."
Richard moved up and directed the high pressure spray back against the wall. He was the only one to get wet.
They quickly passed the area.
"I want to make sure that our coms will work in here." Savannah said. "We are going to need to coordinate the timing."
"Anna and I can do that to the millisecond." Cammy said. "We can have simultaneous detonation manually, by timer or command detonation."
Savannah did not want to use the first option.
"There will be no manual detonations against anything other than Skynet itself." Savannah said. "Every option needs to be played out first."
Young Allison remembered the procedure that Cameron showed them for manual detonation. She did not want to use that option either. She knew if the future depended on it that she would. That did not appear to be the case today.
Savannah and Young Allison both exchanged a quick glance. They both knew they would do a manual detonation if it was necessary. They both hoped they would be the one to do it and not the other one.
Hank and Larry gave Richard and Michael their vests before they entered the passageway. The vintage weapons that were there were loaded onto the helicopter.
Ken and Lou were to fly out everyone but Steve and Tom. They would remain to keep the back door open. They would have high altitude drone support.
In the Command Center they could follow the progress of the six in the passageway from their body cams with the relays in place. Normally they would lose contact that far underground.
"Was this your plan?" John Henry asked.
Summer came up with the idea. CamNet worked out the specifics.
"It was a suggestion." Summer said. "It was a way for our team to have safer entry and help mask what actually happened. There is going to be what is perceived as an earthquake to everyone else."
John Henry was experienced in masking the epicenters for 'earthquakes' that they created. There'd been a few over time. They were all related to catastrophic events too.
"It was a good suggestion." John Henry said. "I understand why the weapons were not already there and on a timer."
Summer was a little upset at one thing.
"I didn't think the drone noise would be a problem." Summer said. "Where the passageway connected to the bunker system is supposed to be solid concrete for twenty feet. That was to prevent the anti-Metal group from trying to complete the passageway themselves."
Summer was worried they may have attempted to dig their own escape route and accidentally found the system that Richard and Michael created. The could have inadvertently weakened the system.
The water in the one section troubled her some. What happened if there were others? There'd been a couple of strong earthquakes since the system was built. There could be more cracks. It was possible the detonation chambers could be flooded. The bombs would need to be detonated elsewhere.
Summer ran all her latest thoughts by CamNet. There were variable that she hadn't considered in the formulation of the plan.
It was decided that as soon as the drones took out the three LPs there would be an EMP blast of there own right on top of the bunker entrance. They hoped to disrupt as much of the enemy's reaction potential as possible. They would use the very EMP devices that they'd capture from this group. It only seemed fitting to return the items to the rightful owner.
That should be followed by the underground explosions within the next sixty seconds. Everyone should have retreated into the bunker complex during that time period.
"Jesse is on the move." John Henry said.
Summer needed to address the situation. That might mean her mother would come to her room to check on her. She planned to stay with the operation. It was time to 'bend the facts'.
"Call her here." Summer said. "I need to speak with her."
John Henry was not so sure about that.
Summer looked at him.
"She will understand." Summer said.
John Henry contacted Jesse.
Jesse was a little surprised that John Henry asked her to stop by the Command Center.
She wondered what was up. She'd passed by Savannah's room earlier and the door was open. No one was there.
Jesse entered the Command Center. Her top was unbuttoned and her nursing breasts were prominent. She planned to mess with John Henry a little.
"What's up, love?" Jesse asked. "Did you want to see if there was anything left after Precious was done?"
Jesse cupped one breast from underneath and pointed it at John Henry.
She did not see Summer.
"I asked him to call you here." Summer said.
Jesse thought maybe she should have used a little more tact in her earlier statement. She quickly pulled her top closed but did not button it.
"Don't worry about it." Summer said. "We're all who we are."
Jesse looked at John Henry and back to Summer.
"I need Summer's help and I don't want any problems for her. This is the situation…." John Henry said.
He gave her a quick run down of everything. He didn't mention the nuclear weapons that were in play. That would cause unnecessary worry.
Summer wanted a true if somewhat misleading statement. She figured Jesse's earlier 'action' would make her more pliable.
"You can 'check' me right now and see I'm fine." Summer said. "I'm sitting here so I'm resting. My mother will probably want to check on me when Samantha leaves and you arrive."
Jesse watched Summer send a series of commands to CamNet.
"I get it." Jesse said. "I can tell Claire that I checked on you and you were fine and resting peacefully. It's a true statement and no one needs to lie."
"Thank you." Summer said. "I don't want to upset my mom and make her worry needlessly. The future is still going to happen and I am going to be a part of it."
Jesse nodded and headed for the door. She looked back at Summer.
"I'll sneak a peek in there every now and then." Summer said.
Jesse quickly looked at John Henry and went out the door. Summer knew what she was going to say.
Summer looked at John Henry.
"It's no big deal." Summer said. "We all do it. Some of us just get caught more than others."
John Henry remembered all the times Summer 'caught' him.
"Indeed." John Henry said.
Savannah thought they made good time on foot. They reached the first chamber. Everything was dry.
"There is where the B61 goes." Cammy said.
Savannah directed Young Allison to stay with Anna and arm the bomb. They were not supposed to start the timer yet.
"How far is it to the other location?" Savannah asked.
"It is about an eighth of a mile." Michael said.
"I will go with Cammy." Savannah said. "I want you and Richard to leave and go back out. Cammy and Anna will join you shortly."
Michael and Richard felt they should stay.
"They may be an EMP attack at some point. We won't be able to drag everyone out. We won't leave any of you behind if it happens." Young Allison said.
Richard and Michael left. They were to fallback to a position further than where Steve and Tom were at. Once the bombs were armed they were to leave the area at maximum speed.
Savannah could walk with the backpack nuke on her back but she needed help to get it there onto her back.
"Cammy, put the backpack nuke on me." Savannah said.
Cammy was afraid for Savannah.
"NO!" Cammy said. "You're pregnant. This thing is very heavy."
Savannah knew she kept pushing it. She needed to think of Vanna's baby. It was a wonder she hadn't lost it already with everything that had happened to her since she was implanted with the embryo.
"Arm the B-61." Savannah said. "Then Anna can leave."
Savannah started out on the path Michael indicated. Cammy followed her with the backpack nuke. Savannah said nothing further to Cammy.
"I can stay with it for disobeying you." Cammy said. "It will be just punishment."
Savannah touched Cammy's cheek.
"I didn't make it an order." Savannah said. "When I do, you will obey it."
Cammy could see Savannah was serious.
They passed a room off to the side.
Savannah paused.
"Don't look in there." Cammy said.
Now Savannah wanted to.
"Don't look." Cammy said again. "There are human remains in there."
Savannah wondered if that was part of the original construction crew or any of the help Richard and Michael may have needed. They would have terminated anyone who knew that they'd done something here. No one would know what they'd done that way. It would be a true secret. She remembered the pirate's motto: 'Dead men tell no tales'.
"I get it." Savannah said. "It happens."
They reached the second chamber.
It was flooded.
Cammy looked at the passageway.
"I can go through and see if there is anything different or changed there." Cammy said.
Cammy touched the water.
"This water is cold." Cammy said.
Savannah went to touch it.
Cammy stopped her.
"I know there are springs. In various places in Southern California." Savannah said. "We saw one earlier. All water needs is a small crack to find its way anywhere."
Cammy was not sure that was what this was.
"This spot is only a few hundred feet off of our target area." Cammy said.
Savannah thought that should be close enough for a nuclear weapon.
"Let's arm the weapon." Savannah said.
Cammy took the backpack nuke off and set it on the ground.
"Let me do it." Savannah said.
Savannah went through the arming procedure.
The first time she tried it, it didn't work.
"I must have entered the codes wrong." Savannah said.
Cammy watched her do it. It looked right. She worried that the timer was defective. That would require a manual detonation. She worried Savannah would order her away and stay to detonate it manually.
Savannah tried it again. This time the bomb armed and showed a time of thirty minutes on the timer. It only needed the final code to start the timer.
"Go, Cammy." Savannah said. "You are to get Anna and go out. This time it's an order."
Cammy hesitated. She gave Savannah a quick kiss and ran from the corridor.
Savannah watched her go.
She looked at the flooded chamber and where Cammy just was at. She hoped that was not the last time they saw each other. There was an ever growing feeling it was. She started to get the same feeling she got when she elected to stay with Cameron as she prepared to destroy Skynet in her future.
She wondered if the water level was slowly rising. Maybe it was just her immigration playing tricks on her.
Maybe it wasn't.
